TABLE OF CONTENTSEXECUTIVE SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

SWOT ANALYSIS

RELEVANT RESEARCH

RESEARCH METHODS

RESULTS Survey Results Interview Results Focus Group Results

DISCUSSION

REFERENCES

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“The Brand for Her Moments of Fearlessness”

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe Jordan Brand needs to know how to reach their target market. They need to know how to reach HER. Because of our limited access to the Brand’s specific target market, we focused our research on what the average 18- to 24-year-old female cares about in a brand, product, what influences her purchasing deci-sions and the differences in priorities between males and females when it comes to marketing tactics and product characteristics.

We created, distributed and analyzed 242 surveys, conducted 10 interviews and hosted a 6-person focus group to collect our data. Most of our participants were female, but we included some males to use as a basis for comparison. Eleven of the 242 survey respondents and two of the six focus group members were males.

• Women value social factors more than any other when making purchasing decisions. Such factors include word-of-mouth, friends’ recommendations, and online reviews. This was reported as the most influential factor by 37 percent of surveyed females, and this trend was consistent in the interview results as well. • The second most influential factor for females was culture, including seeing a product on the runway, in magazines, movies, on celebrities, or in songs.18% of men listed social factors as the most convincing factor when making a first-time purchasing decision, while 51 percent of women did. For both men and women, cultural factors were the second most convincing factor.• The majority of women cite the style and design of Jordan shoes as their number one reason why they wouldn’t buy Jordans. The majority of men say price. In other words, men want but can’t always afford them, while women don’t want them to begin with so it doesn’t matter how much they are.• Most women don’t identify with the brand and don’t see themselves wearing Jordans.• Women care more about a brands corporate social responsibility and want to be a part of a larger movement, especially those surrounding female empowerment. Many women choose the products they purchase and brands they are loyal to based on their social and political stances.

Our data suggests a clear difference in priorities when it comes to consumer behavior between men and women, and this will affect the way the Jordan Brand will need to market to their new female market. The biggest challenge will be to acquire new female customers, as there are few women who are interest-ed in the shoes. The Brand will need to focus on building hype about the product among existing con-sumers in order to use their influence to convert their friends and communities into buyers, as women rely on social factors when choosing new products.

KEY FINDINGS

INTRODUCTIONThe Jordan Brand will announce and release its newest line of female specific shoes in late March or early April in 2019. JUMPRELATIONS, a public relations firm based out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is tasked to develop a unique campaign and communications plan that targets women between the ages of 18-24. The defined target audience aligns within several psychographics, which can be characterized by sneakerheads, mavens and visionaries.

The Jordan Brand is one of the most recognized, unique and positively referenced shoe brands within the industry. Historically, Jordan Brand shoes and apparel have been geared towards young males and basketball players. Stepping away from their traditional marketing campaigns and plans, the Brand is reaching a new female audience that transcends basketball and culture through the common representation of the Jumpman logo. JUMPRELATIONS's focus over the upcoming months will be fixated on creating a marketing plan and campaign that helps women find their "moments of fearlessness." Brand loyalty amongst Jordan consumers is expected to rise but the challenge lies in reaching new audiences. These initiatives will be taken into consideration with the ultimate goal to create positive and engaging messaging that stays true to the already-successful Jordan company.

SWOT ANALYSISThe Jordan Brand has a long history of being an influential brand for sneakerheads and athletes alike, and continues to hold strong in both markets today (Cooney, 2018). In tackling the women’s shoe market for the first time, the brand has previously established strengths that will set it apart from competitors.

One of the Jordan Brand’s major advantages is that Nike owns the Brand, which is one of the largest equipment and apparel companies in the world. As of 2018, Nike held 26.94% of the global market share for athletic footwear; this percentage is projected to continue increasing in the coming years (“Nike: Market share,” 2018). In addition to its parent company, the Brand has one the world's most recognizable sports figures as the face of their apparel and shoes, Michael Jordan. With its powerful reputation, Jordan Brand is able to boast endorsements from influential people, such as singer Billie Eilish and professional basketball player Maya Moore. Jordan Brand was also pivotal in the development of “sneakerhead culture,” and is often attributed in being a source for the continuing phenomenon; it is a major strength to have the support of these niche markets (Cooney, 2018).

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4Despite the many strengths that distance the Jordan Brand from its competition, it also operates with weaknesses that can deter consumers away, making it more difficult to find its market share for women’s shoes. The Jordan Brand, although highly experienced in creating and marketing men’s shoes, lacks a great deal of experience in the women’s shoe market. Additionally, one of the shoes that is being released is a non-basketball, slip-on shoe; Jordan has never released this type of shoe, so this will be its first time marketing a fully new product. The release of the new women’s shoes will not be limited, so it is possible that the appeal of exclusivity will be lost.

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S The Jordan Brand has limited experience and participation in the women’s shoe industry, which gives the Brand extensive opportunities to establish itself and gain market share. The Jordan Brand can utilize community relations in order to promote its image among consumers. This could begin by tapping into Wings, Jordan Brand’s community impact program and bringing it more into the face of consumers. Additionally, Jordan Brand has the opportunity to leverage influencers from platforms such as Instagram to gain market traction and improve trustworthiness as a brand (Holien�inová & Kádeková 2018).

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ATS Since the Jordan Brand is not established in the market of women’s

footwear, it is also set to operate with numerous threats against it. If handled correctly, the Jordan Brand will be able to navigate around these challenges to become reputable in the women’s industry and gain loyal customers. One of the most immediate threats is its consumers since Jordan Brand is behind its competition in streetwear and footwear for women. There are established loyalties to brands such as Adidas, Puma, Vans, etc. who have been producing similar female products for a much longer time period (Danziger, 2017). Another threat to the Brand is that it has a very distinct target market; mismanagement of the defined audience will put the Jordan Brand at risk for losing its share in the women's shoe market.

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With limited access to large numbers of these specific categories of women, our audience for this research is 18-24-year-old women from as many different regions as possible, although most were from North Carolina.

MUSIC AND FASHIONAn artist’s style can often become associated with the wider genre of music which they perform, creating a branded look. This look becomes easily recognizable by fans and creates a sense of belonging. According to Claire Allen’s report on the link between fashion and music, the branded looks serve to primarily assign a product while “its secondary function is to mobilize emotional connotations” (2018). From this, fans can associate their own emotions towards music and pair it with the artist’s look, creating a link between the need to express emotions through music and through fashion, which is especially true with adolescent women (Allen, 2018). Additionally, fashion serves to contribute to visual performances in music and to a fan’s listening experience. Furthermore, “fashion expression becomes increasingly important in the spaces that allow physical responses to the music such as dance venues, festivals and concerts” (Allen, 2018).

Brands like Vans and Puma have utilized the association between fashion and music through events like the Vans Warped Tour and Puma’s partnership with Rihanna (Johns, 2017). The Jordan Brand has an opportunity to align itself in a similar fashion through Coachella, a music festival hosted in California every year. David Cunningham, Vice President at IMG Models, said: “Coachella is known for attracting a huge audience of plugged-in, style-conscious millennials” (Robehmed, 2015). Given the time frame of the Jordan Brand’s release of the Air Jordan I Low Slips and the Air Jordan IVs, Coachella can become a huge opportunity for the Jordan Brand to market its shoes towards a fashion conscience audience and further its association between its shoes and with music.

Jordan operates under the Nike umbrella, along with many other brands. In 2018, stocks for Nike rose 9% and according to Statista.com, Nike and the Jordan brand combine to own 50% of the US athletic footwear market. Adidas is approximately 11%, followed by Skechers and New Balance (2018). Simply put, Nike remains the unquestioned leader within the industry. When polled, a higher percentage of females prefer Nike over Under Armour, adidas and New Balance combined (Statista Survey, 2018). Additional information form Barron’s Financial News and its analyst, John Kernan, states that, “Nike continues to serve customers in unique ways that underscore the company’s creative prowess (Marino-Nachison, 2019). It’s important to use this statistical evidence to embrace the leadership position that Nike and Jordan have built through creativity and authenticity. Numbers never lie.

SHOE INDUSTRY BY THE NUMBERS

AUDIENCE

RELEVANT RESEARCH

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SOCIAL RESEARCH (TWEETS & MORE)On March 1, 2019, Jordan Brand released the Women’s Air Jordan 1 Low Slip-On Chicago, but to many mixed reviews. Within hours of its release, the shoe sold-out on Nike’s website and SNKRS app. This left many consumers upset; one of those consumers, Osmond Seangsuwan tweeted “@Jumpman23 I updated my info last night on Nike. I was ready to purchase the Retro 1 Slip Ons for my wife at 7AM and the site had tons of issues and after refreshing until 7:17AM PST, all the bots purchased all the stock. You guys have to come up with a better system! #Nike,” (OnlyOsmond, 2019). The contrast between demand and design preferences is something that the Jordan Brand should monitor before allocating more resources to promoting this shoe.

(Source: Rovell, 2019)(Source: John, 2019)

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITYCorporate social responsibility is an important component of any brand or company that values engagement with their targeted audience. When it comes to Millenials and Gen-Y, it becomes very apparent that they want to support those companies that stand behind their beliefs with action. According to an article written by Elisa Arrigo and published by the Emerald Group, “if stakeholder expectations and social and environmental performance are aligned, the firm could create improved stakeholder relationships and, as of consequence, obtain a range of benefits. The existence of strong stakeholder relationships, based on satisfying a socially responsible behavior, determines a superior corporate brand image” (2013). As long as the message aligns with the audience then there is strong evidence that it will improve the internal and external perception.

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JUMPRELATIONS designed a 13-question survey to identify individuals’ sense of style, factors that influence purchasing habits and their shopping behaviors. Additionally, the survey gauged the participants’ interest in purchasing shoes from the Jordan Brand. In total, we received 242 responses from our survey. Of the respondents, 228 identified as female and 224 of those women were within the target age of 18-24. 79.31% of the total respondents were white, followed by 11.88% who were Asian. The survey was primarily distributed through a Facebook group where a majority of the members are college-aged women. The survey was primarily multiple choice based, with several free response options, as seen in Appendix A1. The survey granted an overview of surface information from a wide audience.

The interview method is an important component of the investigative research done by JUMPRELATIONS. The interview process allowed us to understand who, if anyone, influences our target market’s purchasing behaviors, whether or not they would wait in line and what elements of a shoe stood out to them. Ten women located in several locations across the United States aged 18-29 were chosen to participate. This included females in North Carolina, California, New York, Utah, etc. The interview questionnaire and open response format, available in Appendix A2, consisted of 10-12 questions and allowed for probing and extended responses. The fluidity of conversation brought additional information not previously considered.

Our six-person focus group consisted of four women between the ages of 19 and 21 and two men aged 19 and 20. Of the members, one was from Florida, one was from California, and four were from North Carolina. During the 20-minute discussion, the moderator asked 11 questions, most of which initiated insightful dialogues between the members. The questions (Appendix A3) revolved around the differences in perceptions of the Jordan Brand between men and women and what men and what women look for in a brand or product they purchase. Some of the topics discussed include celebrity endorsement, social media influencers, corporate social responsibility, social prestige, design and style, and the kind of people who wear Jordans. The group dynamic allowed for members’ ideas and perceptions to be clarified and amplified by consensus and discussion.

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RESULTSSURVEY RESULTSJUMPRELATIONS conducted a survey as a part of our quantitative research. The main purpose of the survey was to identify people’s fashion styles, shopping behaviors and what influenced them in buying fashion products. Questions that focused on secondary aspects included whether or not our respondents would be interested in purchasing Jordan Brand shoes. From the data that was collected through the surveys, we are able to discern several trends among our respondents.

As shown in Graph B1, individuals who purchased shoes for fashion purposes were more likely to be swayed by social and cultural factors. Those who purchased athletic shoes were likely to be influenced by social factors and price (which was filled in as part of the free response option), while those who purchased shoes for comfort were mostly concerned with the price of the shoes, followed by social factors. Despite the differences in shoe-buying preferences, most people are most affected by the people closest to them.

When asked whether respondents would purchase Nike Jordan shoes, 73.55% of respondents said no, which can be seen in Table B1. In

reference to Graph B2, 52.12% of the respondents said they would not purchase Jordans because of its style/design while 42.13% considered price being the deterrent for purchasing. It’s also important to note that when asked what influences people the most to make a fashion purchase outside of its

design, as seen in Graph B3, 23.92% of respondents chose to use our free response option, writing in price and versatility as being the primary influencers. Looking at the data holistically, it suggests that people feel as though Jordans are not as versatile as they would like in being able to style it with various outfits for its standard price point.

While our survey provided useful insights into marketing the new shoes, our survey had its limitations, primarily through our demographic. Of the 242 respondents, 193 were natives of North Carolina, which is not representative of the rest of the United States market.

Graph B1 - The legend displays what type of shoes the respondent most recently purchased, while the x-axis reveals what influences the respondent the most when making a fashion purchase.

Table B1 - Would you buy Nike Jordan shoes?

INTERVIEW RESULTS

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SURVEY RESULTSJUMPRELATIONS conducted a survey as a part of our quantitative research. The main purpose of the survey was to identify people’s fashion styles, shopping behaviors and what influenced them in buying fashion products. Questions that focused on secondary aspects included whether or not our respondents would be interested in purchasing Jordan Brand shoes. From the data that was collected through the surveys, we are able to discern several trends among our respondents.

As shown in Graph B1, individuals who purchased shoes for fashion purposes were more likely to be swayed by social and cultural factors. Those who purchased athletic shoes were likely to be influenced by social factors and price (which was filled in as part of the free response option), while those who purchased shoes for comfort were mostly concerned with the price of the shoes, followed by social factors. Despite the differences in shoe-buying preferences, most people are most affected by the people closest to them.

When asked whether respondents would purchase Nike Jordan shoes, 73.55% of respondents said no, which can be seen in Table B1. In

reference to Graph B2, 52.12% of the respondents said they would not purchase Jordans because of its style/design while 42.13% considered price being the deterrent for purchasing. It’s also important to note that when asked what influences people the most to make a fashion purchase outside of its

The interviews conducted during a two-week span in Feb. 2019 showed that the Jordan Brand is still underrepresented with women aged 18-24 and that there are barriers to adoption which include price, preference and influences. Nearly all respondents listed an interest in exclusivity and noted the strong influence of their friends on their purchasing decisions.

“We wear shoes every day and I care about what my fashion says about me.”- 24-year-old female, Shanghai, China

The largest discrepancy amongst interview respondents was their buying and purchasing habits. While most people preferred to try on the shoes before purchasing, there were mixed results on how and when.

“Online, for sure! I’ll go in store to try them on but I’ll wait for the discount and purchase online.” 20-Year-old female, Irvine, CA

Although the interviews provided anecdotal information that is useful in analyzing influencers and purchasing methods, it’s still obvious that the Jordan Brand has limited penetration to this demographic. Limitations include access to the proper demographic and current Jordan Brand loyalists.

FOCUS GROUP RESULTSIn a six-person focus group of four women and two men, we discovered that while men aspire to be Jordan-wearers for the social prestige that comes with showing up to a pickup game in a pair of the exclusive shoes, women find the shoes, as they’ve known them in the past, to be too specific of a style to be attractive to most potential buyers.

More so than social prestige, the female participants emphasized the importance of a brand to back social issues that they care about, such as female empowerment and equality. The brands that instantly came to mind when considering brands they respect were Dove with its Real Beauty campaign and Aerie, which uses un-retouched models in its brand imagery and marketing. While the men in the group listed qualities like comfort, quality and prestige when choosing a shoe or athletic wear (and why they were fans of Jordans), the women said they’d have no interest in Jordan shoes. That is, unless the brand took a strong social stand for female empowerment. The females wanted to be a part of a bigger brand identity and social movement. If by wearing Jordan shoes they could communicate with their community that they stood for and with women, they would be excited to be a part of that.

Another key finding: women perceive Jordan shoes to be for athletes and not for the average girl.

design, as seen in Graph B3, 23.92% of respondents chose to use our free response option, writing in price and versatility as being the primary influencers. Looking at the data holistically, it suggests that people feel as though Jordans are not as versatile as they would like in being able to style it with various outfits for its standard price point.

While our survey provided useful insights into marketing the new shoes, our survey had its limitations, primarily through our demographic. Of the 242 respondents, 193 were natives of North Carolina, which is not representative of the rest of the United States market.

10“They look really good on the Carolina basketball court, like that’s dope and all, but I don’t think they’d look

good on my feet.”- 21-year-old female, Boone, NC

All of the female participants echoed this sentiment, saying that it’s not a look for everyone, and certain-ly not a look for them. While the Jordan Brand is not looking to appeal to everyone, this insight is one of many that has led us to believe that the best markets to pursue are the ones surrounding existing cus-tomers by focusing on brand loyalty and word-of-mouth promotion.

Some of the females speculated that people want other people to think that they’re socially aware and up-to-date with pop culture by reflecting what’s happening in important cultural moments. One way they do this, in a case relevant to our research, would be by wearing the same gear that all-star athletes are wearing.

DISCUSSIONOur research goal was to identify the differences between successful marketing tactics for men and those for women. Because the company’s experience is tailored to marketing to men, and because it wants to translate that success to marketing to women for the first time, we asked questions about what was important in a product, brand, fashion purchase, and new purchase. Our research focused on women, but included feedback from men for the basis of comparison.

Our research revealed that women, more than men, consistently list social factors as their number one purchasing decision influencer. Unlike men who look at a products price, comfort, and marketing, women want to know their friends like and wear a product and that the brands they support are support-ing others through corporate social responsibility, particularly through supporting female empowerment and equality. These trends were prominent in our survey, interview and focus group responses.

Most women in the target-market age-range who were not already Jordan fans (and most weren’t), were not interested in becoming Jordan shoe owners. While the Jordan Brand is not interested in appealing to everyone, it must also be noted that the women that were primarily available to participate in the study were not necessarily the Jordan Brand’s target market. The results show trends for the average female aged 18-24 in North Carolina, with little (but some) expansion into New York, California, and other regions. This limitation should be noted when applying these findings to campaign planning.

Going forward, the research suggests that in order for the Jordan Brand to expand its market, it should focus on strengthening brand loyalty with existing customers. Women are most influenced by their friends and community, so if the company is looking for new buyers, it should look to existing customers’ friends and communities. Not only will they be the easiest to convert because of their friends’ influence, but they will also likely come from similar backgrounds, sharing common styles, lifestyles and financial means to make the purchase.

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REFERENCESAllen, C. (2018). CHAPTER 6: The Borrowing of Emotive Connotation between Fashion and Music. At the Interface / Probing the Boundaries, 112, 107–118. https://doi-org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1163/9789004382435pass:[_]008

Arrigo, E. (2013). Corporate responsibility management in fast fashion companies: The Gap Inc. case. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, 17(2), 175-189. doi:10.1108/jfmm-10-2011-0074

Cooney, S. (2018). Nike Helped Create Sneaker Culture. Now it’s Catering to Female ‘Sneakerheads.’ Time.Com, 1. Retrieved from https://auth-lib-unc-edu.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/ez proxypass:[_]auth.php?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.lib proxy.lib.unc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=128734715& site=ehost-live&scope=site

Danziger, P. N. (2017, October 28). Nike's Challenges In The U.S. Market. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/pamdanziger/2017/10/27/ni kes-challenges-in-the-u-s-market/#5f64bc0827df

darrenrovell. (2019, March 1). The Air Jordan 1 Low Slip ($100), which Nike just put on sale, might be the coolest women’s sneaker they’ve ever done. [Tweet]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/darrenrovell/status/1101494448737927170

Kádeková, Z., & Holien�inová, M. (2018). Influencer Marketing as a Modern Phenomenon Creating a New Frontier of Virtual Opportunities. Communication Today, 9(2), 90–105. Retrieved from https://auth-lib-unc-edu.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/ezproxy pass:[_] auth.php?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.lib proxy.lib.unc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=133165760&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Johns, N. (2017). HIGH NOTES: How brands and artists are teaming up to make a lasting impact onstage and off. FN: Footwear News, 73(22), 9–12. Retrieved from libproxy.lib .unc.edu/ezproxypass:[_]auth.php?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.libproxy.lib.unc. edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=124261647&site=ehost-live&scope=sit

Marino-Nachison, D. (2019, January 22). Nike Has the 'Creative Prowess' to Keep the Shares Rising, Says Analyst. Retrieved from https://www.barrons.com/articles/nike-stock-can-keep-ris ing-on-creative-prowess-51548178252

Nike: Market share in athletic footwear 2011-2024. (2018, May). Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/216821/forecast-for-ni kes-global-market-share-in-athletic-footwear-until-2017/

OnlyOsmond. (2019, March 1). purchase the Retro 1 Slip Ons for my wife at 7AM and the site had tons of issues and after refreshing until 7:17AM PST, all the bots purchased all the stock. You guys have to come up with a better system! #Nike. [Tweet]. Retrieved from

12 You guys have to come up with a better system! #Nike. [Tweet]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/OnlyOsmond/status/1101533534844383232

Reghunathan, A., & Joseph, J. (2017). Men will be Men, Women will be Women: The Case of Cross-Gender Brand Extensions. Advances in Consumer Research, 45, 465–468. Retrieved from https://auth-lib-unc-edu.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/ezproxypass:[_]auth.php?url =http://search.ebscohost.com.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=13 1892693&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Robehmed, N. (2015). For Modeling Scouts, Coachella Is A Hot Hunting Ground. Forbes.Com, 1. Retrieved from https://auth-lib-unc-edu.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/ezproxy pass:[_]auth.php?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.lib proxy.lib.unc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=102050018& site=ehost-live&scope=site

Statista Survey. (n.d.). Which one of them would you call your favorite brand for sports apparel?. In Statista - The Statistics Portal. Retrieved March 2, 2019, from https://www-statista-com.lib proxy.lib.unc.edu/statistics/640867/favorite-sports-apparel-brands-of-us-consumers-by-gender/.

Yahoo. (n.d.). Share of the athletic footwear market by brand in the United States in 2017. In Statista - The Statistics Portal. Retrieved March 2, 2019, from https://www-statista-com.lib proxy.lib.unc.edu/statistics/611891/united-states-athletic-footwear-brands-market-share/.

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APPENDICESAPPENDIX A1 - Survey Questionnaire

1. What is your age?2. What is your gender? A. Male B. Female C. Other (Please specify): 3. What is your ethnicity? A. White B. Black or African American C. Hispanic or Latino D. American Indian or Alaska Native E. Asian F. Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander G. Other4. Where are you from? A. Other B. [50 states were listed]5. What best describes your sense of fashion? A. Street/urban fashion B. Athletic wear C. Casual wear D. I dress for comfort E. I don’t have a specific style of fashion6. What factors outside of a fashion item's design convinces you the most to purchase it? A. Social factors (Ex. Friends told me about it, Reading reviews on the item, etc.) B. Cultural factors (Ex. It’s the current trend, Celebrity/influencer is wearing it, Saw it in a show, Heard about it in a song, etc.) C. Item’s marketing (Ex. Saw ads about it, Brand reputation, etc.) D. Other (Please specify):7. What would convince you to buy a fashion item you've never considered buying before? A. Social factors (Ex. Friends told me about it, Reading reviews on the item, etc.) B. Cultural factors (Ex. It’s the current trend, Celebrity/influencer is wearing it, Saw it in a show, Heard about it in a song, etc.) C. Item’s marketing (Ex. Saw ads about it, Brand reputation, etc.) D. Other (Please specify):8. In your most recent footwear purchase, what type of shoes were they? A. Style/fashion B. Athletic C. Comfort D. Other (Please specify):9. What was the driving factor in making the purchase? A. Replacement of older shoes B. Weather related

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APPENDICES C. Needed for an event/special occasion D. It happened on the spot/I happened to walk by them E. They were on sale F. Other (Please specify):10. What do you value the most when purchasing shoes? Rank in order from most important to least important. A. Comfort B. Price C. Style/design D. Brand11. Do you own Nike Jordan shoes? A. Yes B. No12. Would you buy Nike Jordan shoes? A. Yes B. No13. [If you answered no] What is the primary factor that would prevent you from buying Nike Jordan shoes? A. Price B. Comfort C. Design/style D. Brand E. Other (Please specify):

Appendix A2 - Interview Questions1.How many pairs of shoes have you purchased in the last year?2. How many pairs of shoes do you currently own?3. What’s the most you have ever spent on a pair of shoes? 4. What type were they?5. Why did you buy them?6. How did you find them?7. What sentiment is most valuable when purchasing shoes (comfort, design, status, etc.) Why?8. Have you been influenced by someone else to buy shoes? A. Probe: If yes, who influences you to buy shoes and why are you influenced by them?9. Have you ever waited in line for the initial release of a product (shoes, handbags, phones, etc.)? A. Probe: If yes, why was it important for you to have that product? (Exclusivity, necessity, popular trend?) B. Probe: If no, why have you never waited in line for a product launch? (Online purchase capabilities, price, crowds, exclusivity?) 10. Would you buy a pair of shoes from a brand that you have never purchased from before? A. Probe: If yes, why? B. Probe: If no, why?11. Spokespeople have great influence if_______

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APPENDICES

Appendix A3 - Focus Group Questions

12. What shoe brands do you associate with when you hear fashion?13. What shoe brands do you think have the highest reputation and integrity?14. Can you name three female sports players?15. Can you name three fashion forward women?16. Can you name three influencers on your social media? A. Can you name a product that they sell? B. Which social media platform are you talking about?

1. What are y’all’s opinions on the Jordan Brand to begin with? Do you have any?2. When you picture someone wearing Jordans, who do you picture? What kind of person is it? 3. How much does a celebrity endorsement influence your purchasing decisions?4. How about social media influencers?5. Does anyone here own Jordans? A. Why not?7. (For the men) If price weren’t an issue, would you buy them?8. (For the women) How would you feel showing up for a pickup basketball game in a pair of Jordans?9. What would y’all say is appealing about the brand?10. Do y’all have a favorite brand? A. Why B. Do you just like the product or is it the whole brand? C. (For guys) Do you have any brands that you wear? D. Why?11. What do you think of the new spokespeople for the line?12. (For the women) Between alignment with social responsibility or a political movement and a celeb-rity endorsement, which would be more influential for female buyers when picking a product or brand?

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APPENDICESAppendix AB

Graph 1 - The legend displays what type of shoes the respondent most recently purchased, while the x-axis reveals what influences the respondent the most when making a fashion purchase.

Table 1 - The legend displays what type of shoes the respondent most recently purchased, while the x-axis reveals what influences the respondent the most when making a fashion purchase.

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APPENDICESGraph 2 - What is the primary factor that would prevent you from buying Nike Jordan shoes?

Graph 3 - What factors outside of a fashion item's design convinces you the most to purchase it?